Starting to State the Unobvious
by SecretSparrowTodd
Summary: When a modern Todd turns up at Lovett's doorsetep, will things with Nellie's current boyfriend go pearshaped? Bad summary more plot to come . Rated T for language. Set in 2012.
1. One Night Won't Hurt

**Hello! Just a quick A/N! This is a modern Sweenett and is set in 2012, I'm making this up as I go so there will be a massive chapter variation. So that's why this will probably be the longest chapter in the whole story. Also its set in New York but they will move about a lot more in future chapters :)**

** xDD Anyway, enjoy!  
**

**Summary: When a modern Todd turns up on Lovett's doorstep, will things with Nellie's current boyfriend go pear shaped? Bad summary (more plot to come). Rated T for language. Set in 2012.  
**

* * *

**Starting to State the Unobvious**

**Chapter One: One Night Won't Hurt**

F. F minus. C. F. C plus. D plus. D. F. F minus.

Sweeney grumbled and flumped himself down over his junk filled desk, hitting his head forcefully onto the cold solid marble surface, scattering useless unmarked exam papers over the study's laminate floor.

"Bloody class..." he muttered, shutting his eyes in his unique frustration. "Seems funny that _I _had to help the 'unteachables' to learn... bloody trouble makers the lot of them..."

He'd been marking practice English papers for a bunch of distracted fifteen year olds, who were all practically dead when it came to work –they would just stare out of the class room's windows, lost in the outside scenery. Sweeney would stand at the front, attempting to teach them something, but ninety percent of the time he would just sigh and give up.

It wasn't his fault he couldn't do anything to teach them. It wasn't his fault they had shit grades either. It was their last teacher's error...

Sweeney had had only two weeks in which to explain their task to them. And they were so unintelligible; he'd rather have been telling pigs to roll about in their own filthy mess.

A patter of footsteps behind him brought him out of his strange recollection of events gone past and he shook his head, focusing on pointless marking.

"'Ow's it goin Sw...?" Eleanor, his housemate asked, trailing off, the silence and scattered papers on the floor marked (mostly) 'F' answering her question. She did pity him. He'd only just got the job a few weeks ago, and he'd looked excited (it was shown weirdly, but it was a way she could only understand). When he'd come home that first day, it looked like he'd been mauled by non-existent fan girls of his.

Eleanor laid a hand cautiously upon his shoulder, telling him she understood.

"Y'tried t'tame 'em, me dear..."

He sighed and lifted his head, closing his eyes. "Yes. Well. Since they all bloody well failed apart from two C's and two D's, this means I will obtain a brand new class." He explained, shrugging her hand away from him, uncomfortable with the situation.

The two of them were on treaty terms... almost friends... but not anything that involved any physical contact.

"Well tha's good then! What set?" She swore she saw a touch of a smug smirk. "... Set one." She smiled smugly. "Ooh! Get you Mr Todd! You'll 'ave t'loosen that tie a little or it'll make yer 'ead swell!"

In a flash, his 'glory' faded and he went to his neutral, dull self. "Hmm. Okay Eleanor. Y'can leave now."

She frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "I 'ave two reasons why I shouldn't." Sweeney sighed and motioned a hand towards her, allowing her to go on. "One, It's pizza night. An' two, it's _my_ bleedin' 'ouse y'lazy cockroach!"

He turned and glared at her, for the insult but also the fact it was 'pizza night'. "It can't be pizza night! That would mean it's Friday..."

Eleanor rolled her eyes and giggled, still holding the study door open. "Y'musta been workin' so 'ard y'lost track 'o time!"She screeched, amused that she was managing to grate on his nerves further.

"'O come on Sween's! 'S ya favourite..." ...Triple cheese, three different types of pepper, two layers of ham, cheesy stuffed crusts, mushrooms, garlic bread and most importantly... a whole twelve pack of Carlsberg beer. Yes. It was his favourite. Nellie giggled and couldn't take her eyes from his amusing expression, it was kind of dreamy –like he was far away.

"Alrigh' then Zebra! You finish y'papers and I'll finish y'beers..." He narrowed his eyes at her, hating the pet name she had given him. "Oi!"

He suddenly stood up, sending the chair flying backwards and the desk sliding to his left, where more papers flew from the table's surface.

"No way in _hell _am I missin' out on a Friday night pizza Eleanor! I'll leave the marking... I'll just turn up to class next week and say they all failed..."

She hit his shoulder with her fist. "No! Mark 'em y'lazy monkey! Or _no _pizza!" He opened his mouth... "_OR BEERS!" _He huffed and nodded. "Fine. _MOTHER."_

Before she could walk out of the room, she caught a weird, nervousness in his eyes. She turned back to him, frowning in confusion. He suddenly darted his eyes onto the floor, cringing and wringing his crow-coloured tie. It obvious that he was anxious about something... what? It wasn't like Sweeney Todd to feel apprehensive about something... unless...

Suddenly, she twigged and remembered what they'd talked about last time he was nervous around her. She frowned and crossed her arms over. "An' before y'make a snide remark like las' time, _no_, Gerard will _not _be joinin' us for dinner."

His half open mouth suddenly clamped shut, his pointed still angled upwards, literally supporting his now forgotten point. He let his hand fall down beside his left side, surprised that Eleanor's sickly sweet lover boy wasn't attending their uncommon meal together. Gerard would always be around Eleanor –especially when Sweeney was around them both.

"Have you two broken u-"

"No," she cut in, smoothing down her Deftones T-shirt. "We 'avent broken up. Well, s'not like y'd care anyway, is it?"

She turned away from him and he knitted his eyebrows, her change in mood fairly noticeable. "He's working late then?" he interrogated, in the deep guttural voice that would make any sixteen year old virgin weak at the knees. Nellie sighed. "All weekend, love."

He nodded even though she had her back to him and he still could tell there was something she was hiding. Whatever about? He didn't know. But Gerard had something to do with it.

Ugh. Gerard Wiley, a _'handsome'_, blonde haired, estate agent, had been in a relationship with Eleanor Lovett for a year and seven months. Eleanor wasn't exactly sure if he _loved her... _or was just after her money. She didn't share her feelings about the matter out loud. The only people she could tell were Violet, her work colleague, and international blabber mouth, which was one reason why Nellie couldn't open up to her, and of course, our favourite Demon Barber. But clearly, Sweeney wasn't compassionate enough to deal with someone else's feelings, let alone his _own. _

Nellie owned two large coffee shops in New York. She used to work as a waitress there too, but decided to stop after she took an audition for an acting role. At first her jobs were small, but then another few roles floated in, and then another, and then another, until she'd ended up doing four night shows a week plus a matinee on Saturday and Sunday. Friday was her day off –she was thankful for it!

Gerard had met her on a Thursday night, after one of her biggest music roles. He'd come with a bunch of roses (ha classic cheesiness isn't it?) , dressed in a tuxedo, asking her if she wanted to go out for a drink.

A couple of months later they had happily moved in together. They'd been a normal girlfriend and boyfriend; love their major concern in their relationship.

Until it slowly started dying a month ago.

* * *

One month ago:

"_I'll see y'after the weekend Gee, bye darlin'..."_

_She hung up, feeling annoyed that it was the third weekend her boyfriend was working away from her. He told her he was on a 'business trip' but last time she'd found him at her doorstep on the Sunday night, reeking of booze and looking like he'd been sexually mauled by a grizzly bear. _

_She lay over her newly bought leather sofa, eyes switching from Family Guy on her flat screen TV to her script, her feet swinging in the air behind her._

_It was Friday, her usual day off, only this time, she would have an entire week without a scrap of work! She thought being an actress was great, you got time off JUST to recite your damn lines!_

_Eleanor giggled at something inappropriate Peter Griffin said on TV, still getting those lines into her head. _

_She was in her silk ebony nightdress already; it was getting close to eleven at night. Soon she would traipse off to bed after Family Guy was finished—oh that long walk up those stairs!_

_Her brown orbs read another line of hers, and then reread it, and then another line, until she drilled the words into her clever little skull. _

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

_Eleanor paused and frowned, her heart starting to pound in hope that it was Gerard and not someone that had come to steal from her._

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

_There it was again._

_Nellie huffed. "Please don't murder me!"she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She chucked down the papers she been clutching and jumped up. Then, she walked around the sofa, over to the ebony finished front door. She turned the key, that was already placed in the lock, pulling down the handle. _

_Being so late at night, she only opened the door a fraction, hiding her lack of clothing._

"'_Ello?"_

_She could hear the rain pattering down and the thunder cracking the mirror-like sky._

"_Hello... m-may I come in?"_

_The stranger's voice made her suddenly bright eyed and curious, and popped her head around the door, opening it just a crack more._

_She gasped. "It can't be... y-you..."_

_...Sweeney Todd, who had hardly altered, stood, soaked to the bone in a white shirt and black tie, suit trousers and well polished shoes, his hair sloppy and matted, sticking to his face, like a drowned rat. He was wearing a guilty look, and she knew full well why... he'd left her to take the rap of his revenge back in the 'old days'._

_Nellie, ignoring the 'old days' note, stood speechless. They hadn't seen each other... for... for at LEAST one-hundred and forty five years._

_She'd never uttered a word to anyone about him since THAT night and had actually come to forget about it eventually._

"'_O c-course y-ya can c-come in..."_

_End of Flashback_

Ever since that night, Sweeney Todd had been living with the two lovers. Gerard was sweet and seductive around Nellie, but when it was just Sweeney who was around, he was a total arse head.

* * *

Sweeney huffed, finally finishing his marking and then dashed out of the study.

Nellie was downstairs and had prepared the living room for their improper feast. He froze in the doorway and attempted not to curse at the sight. Every curtain in the room was drawn, so it was extra dark, only a few candles were lit about the place for lighting. _Mood lighting... _he corrected himself.

The dominos pizza and crate of beers were on the cluttered coffee table in front of the luxury corner sofa.

He swallowed anxiously and inhaled the drowning scent of the American pizza. He narrowed his eyes and quickly padded over the smooth birch wood floor, and then, checking no one was about, flung himself down lazily on the couch in the most improper fashion.

Weirdly, Nellie appeared from the connecting kitchen, holding two hot chilli sauce bottles in her hands.

She laughed; finding the image of Sweeney sprawled out on their couch like Homer Simpson highly amusing. "Don' sit like 'at! It's unfair if I can't eat fer laughin'!" she joked, managing to sit on the other half of the leather settee to let him lie over the majority of the other side.

He glared at her, that anxious feeling suddenly springing out of him again.

"Y-your joinin' me?"

She nodded.

"And what will _Gezzer_ think?"

She sat up and crossed her right leg over her left, tossing her hair.

"'E won't know, 'cos this'll be our little secret!" she whispered, leaning forward. He frowned, unsure, but still nodded. "Movie?" Before he could open his mouth to reply, she'd dashed to her famously large collection of films, both ancient and modern.

"Fine," he sighed."Nothin' like...uhm... wot was it you an' arsehead were cooing so childishly over last night?"

Nellie jolted and rotated to face him, a glare her reply. "... Twilight?"

Sweeney's eyes widened and he had the sudden urge to yell "Good GOD!" but didn't.

"Hmm yes... well... nothing of that sort please."

She was facing the case again, rolling her eyes.

How could she pick a decent movie if he turned his nose up at practically EVERYTHING? She literally couldn't. Hmm...perhaps if she named some that she had, he would decide on her film taste.

"Oh I know! _Pulp Fiction_?"

"Actually it's a really good movie," he said brightly."... but not in the mood." Nellie bit her lip to stop her from screaming an insult at him, DAMN HIS MONOTONE!

"Okay? _Ghost_?"

"No comment," he grumbled, shifting on the sofa a bit.

"Ooh! Monty Python?"

"Which one?"

"'Oly grail."

"Ugh forget it Eleanor. It's Brian or nothing."

_Oh yes he would say that bloody one! The bleedin' one Gerard won't let in the bloody 'ouse because he's awkward like that! _Nellie thought, wincing.

She rolled her eyes again. Her eyes flicked over the more depressing films of hers, which were incidentally, very matched for Sweeney. She smirked.

"I know..." she whispered and quickly grabbed one of the DVDs.

By the time she'd set up the film, Sweeney had cracked open a bottle of beer for them both, and half eaten a slice of the muddled pizza. The credits were rolling in and they were both chewing their slices noisily, glancing over at each other when the other one wasn't looking.

Soon the first picture came up.

Sweeney snorted and nearly choked on his Carlsberg. "He looks like a bloody weasel!" Nellie shot an annoyed gaze at him. "You'll regret sayin' tha', you will." He glared at her. "Naa I won't." He answered back, rather comically like a naughty school boy.

Half way into the film, it became apparent that Sweeney _did_ indeed regret what he'd said, because he'd insulted the main character in 'The Boy in Striped Pyjamas' and he felt awfully guilty for his reckless mouth. He'd only found out the film name through constant silence when Nellie was talking to him, she'd given up and told him, along with throwing a cushion at him in the process.

They were both on their second beers and now glued to the screen, finding the topic fascinating. "Wot d'ya think the soldiers are doin' to 'em in there, Sweens?" she asked innocently.

He frowned and glanced over at her, clutching his beer bottle tightly. "You mean, you don't know?"She looked at him, but managed to avoid his gaze."No. Do y'know?" He nodded and took his focus back to the plasma TV and said zilch for the rest of the film.

Soon, the end came, Nellie was in streams of tears and sobbing madly. "I-I c-can't believe 'e-'e—"She burst out crying again. Sweeney (who shared her sorrow and remorse for the small boy, and knew if he showed her that, it would be a scratch on his personality) decided to comfort her. He placed his beer down and subtly scooted over to her side, knowing if he said "Its fine. It's just fiction" it would be just a downright lie, so instead decided to put an arm around her and let her sob into his skin.

"Hey... It's alright Eleanor. Don't worry..."

She sniffed and nuzzled into his neck, not that he seemed to notice her affection towards him, he just presumed she was feeling vulnerable.

"'Ow about we watch Blackadder to raise our spirits?" he asked, and she quickly looked up at him, her eyes all red and puffy. "You 'aven't asked t'watch a comedy wi' me before..."

"Even I feel depressed from a heartbreakin' thing like that, pet." He whispered lowly, his voice soothing her further.

She nodded.

He shuffled to get up but she wouldn't let go.

"Eleanor... can I –please -get -up..."

"Wait! I wanna ask y'somethin'!"

He scowled and fell back down. "Wot, pet?"

"C-can we do somethin' this weekend?" she breathed, like it was a burden. He frowned. "You and Gerard never go out on weekends when your both 'ome." He stated suspiciously, purposely not looking in her direction.

"Well... that's 'cos 'e's no fun!"

He glared at her and raised an eyebrow. "As opposed t'me Eleanor?" She giggled and hit him with a fluffy red cushion. He smirked. "I hope you're not thinking that you'll be in a chance of getting in with me... I'm still stubborn as I once was."

"I'm not tryin' t'get ya t'BE wi' me, I jus' want us t'do somethin'... like all good friends do. I couldn't well go somewhere on me own wi' ya if Gee was 'ere could I? Wot would he _think?_"

Sweeney grinned evilly. "I couldn't _imagine."_

Nellie giggled and struck him twice with the same cushion. "You dirty minded barber you!"

He glanced back at her, smirking. "You childish, day dreaming baker you!" he mocked, hitting her with a ruffled cream cushion. She laughed and chucked both cushions on the floor. "Whoops!"

He raised his brows and put his legs up across the sofa again, resting them on Nellie's lap this time. "Ay!" He grinned and she could never reject an evil grin like that. "So –wot d'ya think? 'We gonna go out or wot?"

He stretched his arms up and groaned, making her eyes melt, but again he never noticed.

"Well, sure. Why not? Arsehead's not 'ere to say what we do is he?"

She giggled and pushed his feet off of her.

"Oi!" he shouted, making her jump and roll onto the sofa in fits of laughter. He smirked. "If you find me funny, you'll probably end up dying of laughter when you see Blackadder..." he muttered, slightly concerned with her mental stability.

She laughed and laughed, clutching onto his shin, like that was the only thing holding her up.

"Well," Sweeney whispered, trying not to laugh himself when he looked at the sight of his former criminal accomplice in stitches of strange laughter. "As long as Gezzer's not 'appy."

And with that they both fell off the sofa.


	2. Drive Me Crazy

**A/N Thank you to EleKat for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sweeney Todd or anything else such as Green Day or anything, just the plot :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter two: Drive Me Crazy**

The barber and baker had decided to call it a night at one in the morning, after watching three hours of Blackadder and scoffing two entire family packs of Doritos.

There was no fuss and were no arguments as they scampered off to sleep, they just said their goodnights and trailed off top their rooms, crashing out completely.

Sweeney fidgeted, kicked and punched his mattress.

The nightmares had plagued him every night for the past one-hundred –and-fifty years. Whenever he went to bed later, the nightmares weren't actually quite as bad because he had less time to suffer them.

He ceased all movement, lying limp over his bed.

The silence of his room enabled him to intently listen to the interesting, uncommon sounds in a room other than his own.

He could hear his female housemate singing to a hardcore punk song, which was blaring out of _his _iPod docking station—from _his _iPod's music library (-since Eleanor insisted she hated his sort of music. It was obvious she loved Sweeney's taste in music and was just trying to impress Gerard).

The former barber, turned high school English teacher, cursed and prised himself up, chucking off his humid sticky sheets. He pulled on some Green Day board shorts, seeing as it was so hot and he could see strong sun rays peeking out from under his blinds. He was in such a rush to get downstairs and ask Eleanor what she was doing, that he foolishly forgot to pull on a top of some sort, leaving his chest fully exposed.

He padded out of his room and made his way to the stairs, flying down them instantly when he found himself on the landing.

He noticed that the candles from the night prior were all mostly melted and still smoking from being snuffed out. Eleanor's singing was louder now, so the words were clearer to hear.

The hypnotising scent of bacon, eggs, French toast, sausages and something else he could not quite put his finger on, wafted in his general direction.

Sweeney, not realising his state of dress, immediately fled towards the kitchen.

* * *

"_What's the worst that I can say? Things are better if I stay. So long an' goodnight, so long an goodni-i-i-ght!"_

Eleanor swayed as she used the spatula to slip the ingredients to 'Nellie's Nice Non-Nasty Breakfast' onto both china plates before her. She hoped that Sweeney would be down soon, or his breakfast would be cold. And his coffee would be _freezing. _And she knew how picky he was about coffee's temperature.

She used a tea towel to dust off any mess on the plate edges and then took a fresh spoon to scoop up some sugar for their coffees...

The ex-baker's ears pricked up as she heard the door swing open, and then, before she could dig into the sweet grained ingredient in a pig shaped tub, she swivelled around, still humming to the song blaring out from Sweeney's speakers.

Nellie's mouth fell open in awe, her muscles going limp instantly, consequently making her hand feel numb, and the silver cutlery slipped from her grip.

The dangerous silence between them seemed massive as the mini spade clattered to the floor. The only sound heard was the echo of the cheap metal colliding with the tiled flooring and the sound of the iPod playing an FX bass intensified version of My Chemical Romance's 'Helena'.

She tried to make her eyes seem less big, but as always, her emotion was just too obvious and strong, that it took her over. Her eyes reluctantly tore away from his hunk-like chest and daringly rested on his stoic, pallid face.

"M-Mornin' love." She stuttered, shaking slightly.

He nodded, closing his eyes as he sniffed the air.

"Mmm! I love the smell of roasting dead animals in the morning!" he exclaimed sadistically, stretching his arms back to exercise his spine and chest. Nellie, now watching him again, suppressed a fluttery moan and cautiously held out a plate of breakfast.

He opened his eyes, raised an eyebrow at her and took the professionally made food from her. She grabbed her own plate too, turning back to face him.

"Eleanor—are you alright? You seem... I don't know..."

Nellie blinked a few times, too lost in his strong callous torso again to register his sentence's meaning.

The ex-barber scowled at her.

"Hello? _Eleanor!" _

She jumped at the raised tone of his voice.

"'M bit flushed dearie, is all..." she said monotonously, still mesmerised by him. He studied her suspiciously but nodded anyway.

They both agreed on sitting at her outdoor breakfast bar, as it was nice day and it overlooked the garden, where the best breeze was. When Sweeney was seated, she left him for a moment and rushed back to the kitchen to get their coffees.

As he jogged through the house, back to the outdoors, she almost tripped over the sliding door which exited out to the garden when she was reunited with the picture of the hunky English teacher sat at the long, tall, curved table, on one of her brand new stools.

She paused and squeezed her eyes shut.

'_No! Ya wi' Gerard now... Sweeney ain't on y'mind any more! Alright?' _she told herself, straightening herself as she skipped over to him. She placed their drinks on the cherry red surface of the table, earning and nod of the head from Sweeney, his silent 'Thank you' she supposed.

Nellie sighed and sat next to him, still distracted by that torso of his. She'd never be able to eat for _drooling _over him!

"Bloody 'ell!" she murmured, gulping a sip of coffee down hard. He'd already started eating and frowned at her. "Wot?" he questioned, mouth full of breakfast. She darted her eyes to her own plate, pretending she'd never been staring at him.

"Don't talk wi' y'mouth full!"

"Mmm. Well don't look at me like some... _panda, _at the zoo!"

She spat out the second sip of coffee and giggled, splattering the drink all down the front of her rather high-up-the-thigh nightdress.

"For god's sake woman! Wot is wrong with you today?" he grumbled, biting into a slice of toast.

Eleanor blushed and cleared her throat, crossing one leg over the other, suddenly finding herself flirting with him."Oh... nothin' love..." she replied hoarsely, cheekily facing away from him. In the corner of her eye, she caught him freeze and him drop the cutlery that he had been holding in each hand. _Now _she had his full attention!

"Y'know," she started, now talking with a mouthful of bacon herself. "I never knew English teachers t'be so good lookin'..." She bit her lip teasingly and turned to him, happy when he was glaring in horror.

'_Is she coming on to me? No... She's hopelessly in love with that ugly turd, Gerard. She would NEVER try a stunt like that NOW! Especially on ME... _Sweeney thought, actually feeling silly for even insinuating that she was hitting on him so early in the day.

"I got some bloody good new an' all!" Eleanor squealed, suddenly changing subjects, acting as if nothing had occurred. His frown deepened and he was about to ask her exactly what she'd been on about before this 'good news' until he heard her continue, "I'll be 'ome _all _weekend _an' _all 'o next week too! 'Cos I 'ave a new bleedin' role, don't I?"

He faced her again, eyebrow raised in genuine interest, her strange behaviour earlier now a faded memory to him.

"Oh yeah? What role you got?"

"I've got 'Sandy' in Grease!"

Sweeney forced mock surprise.

Truthfully, he absolutely _hated _the musical, being the grouch he is, but knew that it was still a big achievement, getting a main role on Broadway.

"Really Eleanor? Brilliant! So.. uhm... when d'you start playing 'er pet?"

"After next week!"

He nodded, interested in how soon she was going into the job.

"Well, I'm sure you'll see me there on your opening night. It'll be... _terrific."_

His brain paused.

'_WHAT! YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE GREASE! WHY ARE BEING SO NICE TO HER ALL OF A SUDDEN? LOOK AT YOURSELF—SOFTENING TO THE WOMAN! BLOODY HELL TODD!' _He screamed internally, feeling stupid again.

"Really Sween's? GOD! Thank you _so so _much!" she squeaked, flinging her arms around him, obviously forgetting their odd relationship contract. He ignored their treaty terms and just patted her back in return.

"Uhm... so... does Gerard kn-know?" he said, shrill from the anxiousness for how uncomfortable the situation was.

"Mm. Yeah. 'Said I was silly fer even applying for the damned job. 'The shifts are too damn long Nellie! I doubt your bones could even take that for six shows a week!'" She said, mocking Gerard. "Ha! Like I 'avent slaved away fer over a week wi'out a whole night's sleep!"

She was right. Sweeney recalled that one-hundred-and-fifty years back, she never ceased working, even when he'd told her one week he wouldn't get any customers because it was a bank holiday.

He huffed. "Don' listen to 'im pet. 'E's just a bent bastard. You can do so much better than... _Gerard Willy!_"

She gazed at him thoughtfully, wondering if he noticed what he'd voiced.

Four seconds later sudden realisation hit him.

"Oh shit. I said that _out loud _didn't I?"

His housemate nodded.

He sighed.

"Bollocks."

* * *

It was eleven, the sun was almost at its hottest and Sweeney was frantically waiting for his last playlist to finish burning onto a blank disc.

He was lying over the sofa, watching the black 'burning' bar on his laptop screen slowly load some more to become redder. He sighed, reading _'sixty percent burned' _and roughly placed the portable computer on the junk ridden coffee table.

He grumbled and sat, slouching.

The ex-barber was waiting for Nellie to finish dressing upstairs, and decided to create three new playlists for his car, which they were going out in, and was now so bored of waiting he wished he hadn't suggested the car idea.

But strangely, the disc was chucked out of his laptop and he glared at the screen. '_Playlist burnt successfully'._

He smirked evilly, finally winning over the frustrating technology.

He snatched his disc and placed it with the other two, putting his feet up after closing his laptop's lid.

Nellie hadn't been in or even _seen_ his car, ever since he'd arrived he'd made sure no one in the household knew what car he had, mainly because Gerard would try and nick because it was much 'cooler' than his big, black four wheeled drive trash can.

He smirked again. '_Much better than that crappy ugly –thing...'_

Sweeney could hear her singing again, which reminded him of the discs he'd just downloaded.

Nellie _would _be surprised. It included of a mixture of what both he _and _she liked, along with the ones one or the other hated—it wouldn't be any fun with little scuffles here and there...

It had only dawned on him that he seemed keen on surprising her—which he'd only accidentally done at breakfast by forgetting his shirt, which he'd realised he'd done when she told him after they'd eaten. He had a feeling she had left it until the last minute because secretly, she enjoyed looking at him half naked. _Creepy but probably true!_

His thoughts cast back to what could be in store for them. More arguing? Inevitable. More tears? Obviously, whether they were tears of sorrow, or tears of joy, there would be some. More _flirting? _He didn't want to answer that one. Her random flirting that morning had been sudden and then in a click went away again. So strange. But he had the feeling that was never good when it came to her flirting, and he knew she _was _bound to end up hitting on him several times before he would give in. When Gerard wasn't around, and it was just Sweeney and her, she was quite reckless and would do anything to get his attention, not that she needed to do _ANYTHING _to gain his attention anyway.

Sweeney studied his clothes, changing subject and thinking of how people would mistake him for someone in a stylish heavy metal band, he looked pretty dark and had that look with his fashion.

He smirked, wondering if he'd see any students. He'd definitely enjoy seeing their faces when he was seen behind the steering wheel of his car, dressed in black skinny jeans, a black (surprise, surprise) t-shirt with Finger Death Punch spattered with blood and bullet holes printed onto it, different weapon graphics on the back, and then his famous polished boots, perfect for kicking someone's head in with the studs and spikes on each side of each shoe.

Eleanor rushed down the stairs, now caked in make-up, which definitely made her look even more darkly glamorous. She wore a light pink t-shirt with anime faces on it, a black skirt with silver crosses hanging from it, with red and black stripy stockings to match. Her Doc Martens were the same colour, and she thought that she felt more like herself in what she was wearing now.

He grabbed the discs from the table and stood up immediately.

"E-Eleanor... you... never dress like that when Gerard's 'round..." he stated quietly, but Nellie seemed to hear him anyway.

"'E 'ate's me wearin' all this 'Goth' stuff. 'Says it'll make me commit suicide 'cos all Goths are Satanists." She replied, sighing. He shrugged. "Well 'e's wrong. Y'look more like yourself now. That bastard knows nothing about you, does he?"

She smirked. "'E knows what he wants to. And I only tell 'im so much... 'e just presumes other things 'imself."

He nodded and cleared his throat. "I can tell y'can't be yourself 'round him. Especially...when..." he trailed off, embarrassed to carry on and totally mesmerised while she fixed her hair up with pins.

"Hmm? Especially when...?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind..." he muttered, looking elsewhere.

Soon, she finished fiddling with her dark red curls and beamed a huge smile at him, which was doubtlessly not returned. He nodded, still neutral but eager to get going.

"Ya ready, then?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

He shrugged. "Yeah. Don't you usually take a bag with you?"

She giggled and turned around, showing him a backpack in the form of a dead voodoo doll, where silver pins stuck out of it. He raised his brows, holding back the temptation to laugh out loud. "Wow… well... Gerard wouldn't approve... but... I do..." he said slowly, smirking when he imagined the arse head's face if he caught Sweeney observing his girlfriend modelling her gothic fashion items to him.

Nellie turned and winked at him. "Let's go then!"

Sweeney swallowed hard and tore his eyes off her, nodding vigorously. "Yes... let's..."

The two of them raced to the door childishly, Nellie laughing, Sweeney smirking. She reached the light switch and turned out the lights, just as he took his car keys from a hook beside the door.

He opened the front door and stalked out, and the actress soon followed, locking up behind them.

He waited for her on the end of the drive, frowning impatiently as she checked she had everything in her bag. "Couldn't you 'ave checked that inside?" he asked, tapping his foot on the paved driveway. She zipped up the voodoo doll and winked at him. "Just checkin' I've got me lollipop."

Nellie giggled when he glared at her and hurried over to him.

Sweeney sighed and they started walking, well, _he _started walking first since he was the only one out of the two that actually knew where his car was... well... _WHAT _his car was.

She giddily skipped by his side, and everyone on her block who were out gardening, playing football or whatever it was they did, stood and gawped, clearly thinking the two of them were a couple. Sweeney noticed them spying, and then swore when he lip read one neighbour, the man had said 'That cheating little whore'. The man had quickly seen Sweeney frowning dangerously at him and had got on watering his so-called 'plants'. _They're more like WEEDS. _Sweeney thought, smirking.

He gazed down at the tarmac path, ignoring her guesses to what car he had. She would never guess. It was just too good. Too good for an English teacher, he thought anyway. She would never understand how he'd come by the little convertible.

"Hmm... a Honda then? Am I on the righ' lines?" she asked so desperately, actually worried that all the time she'd been smugly riding around with Gerard in his large Land Rover, she could have been riding in a much better car... with _much _better company. She had to admit, it was such a lark with Sweeney. Gerard just wanted to touch her all the damn time—or shag her. Whichever one. He didn't get much of either from her anymore.

Soon, they passed at least four more large estate houses before they came to a larger grove area, where several cars lined each side of the suburban street. Nellie nervously studied the line of cars, wondering why he parked his car so far away.

"Why don't y'just park y'car on our drive anyway?" she wondered, annoyed by his silence treatment now.

"Because... if I did that, Gezzer would try an' sabotage my ride." he explained, eyeing each car they past like it was a new nemesis. Eleanor followed him still, scowling at him, confused by his reasoning. "Ay? An' why would 'e do tha'?"

"Because 'e wants to be better than me? Because he's jealous that we get on better than you and 'im do? I don't know. I just don't like 'im. An' 'e doesn't like me. So I don't like my things left alone with 'im."

"Oh right... alrigh' then. Seems plausible then, me dear." She replied, seeing his point now.

They started to get past all of the crap shacks, and were now onto the more classy cars. This is where Nellie started really pondering about Sweeney Todd. There was no more little cheap cars to be seen, just big Land Rovers, business BMW's and sporty little lotus'. Her eyes got wider and wider as the line of cars went on, the road now curving slightly.

Sweeney smirked and looked back at her, seeing her frightened expression.

They passed a few more BMW's and Mercedes until just before they passed a large Lexus, he halted and his smirk turned smug.

Nellie stopped too, right next to him, eyeing him with excitement mixed with horror of how his car could be better than Gerard's, and being an estate agent, her boyfriend earned tons more money than Sweeney did. But even Gerard didn't have the guts to park with all the big wig's... he wasn't THAT proud of his car...

She cleared her throat. "It ain't that Lexus is it? 'Cos it ain't very good lookin'." She snapped, crossing her arms over.

He shot her that evil grin. "I wish it was, but it's not. Gerard's not gonna win this competition Eleanor."

She looked into his eyes, her own wide with shock.

He suddenly faced forwards and marched past the Lexus, Nellie quick on his tail.

"It can't be 'at better than Gee's! 'E spent a bloody fortune on it! Y'can't get any better than a Laaaaa—Oh my god...!"

Sweeney sat of the bonnet of his metallic convertible, fake yawning as if presenting himself with the keys to the car in his hand was such a tiring effort. "Like it?" he asked, already knowing the answer by Nellie's sauce pan eyes and gawping mouth.

She bent down to observe the silver alloys and the double cherry stripe running through the middle of the raven paintwork.

"Well... I-I... I love it..." she gasped, not able to say anything else because she couldn't find the right words. He nodded his head, smugly sniffing. "I can now see why y'would think Gee would mess y'car up..."

He raised his eyebrow. "Yes. He would come back drunk one night and completely trash it. The bastard would _love_ to see how distraught I'd be over it..." he breathed lowly, narrowing his eyes. "I can't believe it... " Nellie continued, ignoring Sweeney's snide fantasies. "'Ow'd y'get an _Aston Martin _Sweeney ?"

He smirked; suddenly happy that she'd not took any notice of his angry imagination.

"It's a long story..."

"Tell me!"

"Maybe. I thought you'd be more interested in goin' fer a ride..."

She squealed and hounded him with a hug.

"YES!"

He frowned and was stuck with his arms out as she hugged him.

"I would _love _fer ya t'take me out love..." she mumbled, happy just cuddling him.

He wore a bewildered expression but lightly put his arms around, finding hard to resist her tight embrace.

He had no idea where they would go.

But he knew, Nellie would be happy wherever he took her.


End file.
